


- a typhoon in okinawa -

by kitashinchwan



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Beach Holidays, Canon Compliant, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Okinawa is For Lovers, Senpai to Lovers, Sharing a Bed, This is a long fic - you have been warned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:20:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,941
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29187705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitashinchwan/pseuds/kitashinchwan
Summary: When the gods finally stop watching and start acting, Kita Shinsuke finds himself on a tropical island with the person he least expects.
Relationships: Kita Shinsuke/Miya Atsumu, Miya Atsumu/Kita Shinsuke
Comments: 6
Kudos: 52





	1. arrival

**Author's Note:**

> This is my attempt at a long fic for AtsuKita! It is based off of an old, unfinished rp on my Discord server (I have no luck with my Atsumus. orz) Hope you guys enjoy it. Special thanks to [wheatfields](https://archiveofourown.org/users/wheatfields) for being such a patient betareader! Ilysm <3
> 
> Talk to me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/kitasyin) and [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.qa/kitashinchwan)!

Kita Shinsuke had always doubted the existence of gods — who his grandmother always said were constantly watching — and was not a believer in luck or fortune. Today, however, seemed to shake this belief, as the wing-spiker-turned-rice-farmer walked out of the municipal tourism building, a peculiar envelope in his worn, tanned hands. 

Climbing into the large white pickup he used for deliveries, he fastened the seat belt, let the engine run a bit, and checked his phone. The Inarizaki VBC group chat seemed quiet lately, its members all a mixture of successful and busy. He took a photo of the envelope’s contents in his hand, and messaged the group:

_"I joined a municipal lottery last week, and was lucky enough to have won tickets to a trip for two to Okinawa. Would anyone here want these tickets?"_

The former captain hit _Send_ , placed his phone carefully in the passenger seat, and set for home.

*

"Eh? What?" Atsumu Miya, star setter and future Japan National Team member, sat up in his bed as he checked his cell. Usually, his other phone that he used for work would be the one abuzz with messages. But the device happily beeping with notifications was the one reserved for friends and family. He unlocked it and saw the green dot light up next to the Inarizaki VBC group chat.

"Kita-san? Okinawa? For two?" he managed to stutter out eventually. He was alone in his room, tired from the practice match with EJP Raijin that afternoon. It was a full day of drills and strategising with the MSBY BJ team, too, in preparation for the new season.

 _"I want it,"_ Atsumu rapidly shot off in the group chat, thumbs flying. _"I have a week-long vacation before the JNT training."_

 _"But there’s a condition, Kita-san,"_ he sent in a separate private message. _"You should come with me."_

Atsumu knew he just wanted to spend time with his _senpai_ before he got too busy with training and with no weird questions from Aran or his asshole brother. Yes, that was it. He just needed to touch base with his former captain before heading to the big O. 

*

Truth be told, Kita wasn’t really expecting any of his former teammates to respond to his message. Furthermore, he hadn’t anticipated a reply from inarguably the most popular of them: soon-to-be olympic athlete and national representative setter Miya Atsumu. 

He was about to shoot off a reply to the group chat when Atsumu texted him privately. Raising an eyebrow in thought for a moment, he tapped out a reply, checking one last time before hitting _Send_ :

_"Go with you, Atsumu? There’s no need, the tickets are unnamed as of yet, if that’s what worries you. You can pick someone to ask out on this date."_

Kita felt a small, unexpected pang in his chest as the message marked _Read_.

*  
  


Atsumu stared at his phone at Kita’s response. He felt his chest tighten, but he didn’t know why. He didn’t know why he even expected (wanted?) the former captain to say yes immediately; he realised it was foolish. He stared at the message for a long time, writing and deleting the words. After what seemed like an eternity of hemming and hawing, he managed to reply:

_"I can pick who I want to spend this small vacation with, right? In that case, come with me, Kita-san. If you won’t then the tickets would go to waste."_

Atsumu was used to having all the monsters on his team dancing to his tune, but he had never felt _this_ much pressure riding on anything before as he sent the message to his former captain. He cursed his damned brother Osamu, who got to talk to Kita-san like it was nothing, while he felt his mouth go dry over a stupid text message. 

*

Kita had to laugh at Atsumu’s response. The blond setter’s brash, impulsive streak still ran strong in him as ever, albeit tempered by time and maybe a little more common sense. 

He thought about the offer for a while, casting a wide look at the sun setting over the gently rolling rice fields of Kita Farm. The rice will be harvested, and the fields put to rest, by the time the trip should take place. He also gave thought to the implications of this trip. He could feel a blush creep on his cheeks as he wrote down two replies:

 **_(To Inarizaki VBC):_ ** _"Alright, Atsumu. You can have them."_

He immediately saw Suna and Osamu’s typing bubbles pop up and he laughed.

 **_(To Miya Atsumu):_ ** _"You haven’t changed much, I see. Very well, should we meet up on the day itself at Kansai International Airport?"_

He pressed _Send_ , not knowing how — or why — he agreed to it, but feeling fine, nonetheless.

*

Atsumu’s face was buried in his pillow when he heard his phone. "He replied?" he stuttered. He was so nervous that he didn’t check his phone immediately, face planted against the pillow again until he heard another ding and he sat up immediately. "Two? _Two_ messages?" 

He grabbed his phone and read the notifications, "Oh, so it’s for the VBC and me."

 **_(To Inarizaki VBC): "_ ** _When can I get them? And when’s the trip?"_

He sighed when he saw Suna and Samu’s text bubbles. He definitely wasn’t going to hear the end of this from those two. 

**_(To Kita Shinsuke):_ ** _"Well, old habits die hard, amiright? Sure, send me the deets and I’ll be there."_

"Aaand, sent," he muttered to himself. Then it hit him — Kita agreed to go with him, just the two of them...

"What have I done...?" he whispered to himself as he buried his face in his pillow again.

*

As Kita prepared to go to bed, he engaged in short banter with Suna and Osamu over the VBC chat, and started typing a reply to Atsumu. 

_"They do, indeed. The trip is scheduled on the first day of Golden Week, so everyone will be on vacation. Here are the details and a copy of your ticket and itinerary. Let me know if you have questions. See you in a few weeks?"_

As he sent the message, a small seed of excitement planted itself in his heart. He knew he had a lot of work to do before Golden Week, but somehow his mind kept flitting back to the tickets, and the week in Okinawa to come.

  
***

It had been a few weeks since Atsumu had asked him to come with him to Okinawa, and on the morning of the trip, Kita was outwardly calm and prepared. He did quite a bit of research on what to see there, all saved on his phone and in a small notebook. 

Arriving at Kansai International Airport first, he walked around the departure area near the train station, hoping to see any sign of the blond setter. He was quite aware of Atsumu’s popularity, especially now that news of the National Team lineup was officially announced, and Kita thought of the myriad fans he would naturally attract. Keeping an eye out for Atsumu, he bought two coffees at the overpriced airport coffee shop, and waited at one of the tables.

 _"Good morning. I’m at the coffee shop near the entrance to security check. Please let me know when you have arrived."_ He sent the message to Atsumu, scanning the faces passing by him once more.

It seemed that he hadn’t arrived yet, so Kita took out the small Okinawa guidebook he had purchased for the trip. He could still do more research, after all. However, the attention Kita gave the guidebook remained divided. Admittedly, Atsumu’s replies and messages had been few and far in between in the past few weeks leading up to the trip, and a mounting feeling of anxiety crept up on him.

_Was he even going to show up...?_

Any doubt and fear that formed in Kita’s mind disappeared like popping bubbles as he saw Atsumu pull into view. His face was concealed in a pair of sunglasses and a black face mask, but the former Inarizaki captain would know the cocky strut and the playful wave anywhere in the world. He wore dark slacks and a navy button up shirt, contrasting his almost-platinum hair, which Kita preferred to the darker, dirty blond of their high school volleyball days. _Definitely more put-together,_ he observed with approval. _The city really does make people more sophisticated._

He made a small wave and gestured to the seat across him, suddenly self-conscious of his seemingly country-bumpkin choice of dark blue T-shirt, mustard cropped jeans, and white sneakers. _I should’ve dressed a bit more sophisticated, too, and not just gone with what Gran laid out._

"Atsumu, it’s been a while," he said, the first rays of morning bathing his face in sunshine. "I hope you didn’t have trouble finding the gate?" He pushed the second cup of coffee towards the taller man, and suddenly observed that Atsumu had somehow seemed much larger than when they last met. He also felt his cheeks grow warm at the realisation, and hoped the other man did not notice. 

Atsumu sat down across from his _senpai_ , and found himself admiring his understated style. It suited him well, and it made Atsumu wish that he didn’t try too hard to impress. The stylish, long-sleeved shirt was probably too warm for Okinawa, while Kita, true to form, opted for practicality. Kita’s hazel eyes glowed in the sun as he turned his smile on Atsumu, oblivious to the effect his warm, genuine smile had on his _kouhai_. Atsumu swallowed the lump in his throat and mustered a reply. 

"Aw, of course I didn’t, Kita-san! I use this airport a lot for away games," he said, taking off his mask and waving it at his travel companion. "Omi-omi gave it to me, saying I shouldn’t bring back any germs." He shivered at the thought of Sakusa’s scowl. "How about you? How have you been, Kita-san?" Atsumu asked as he sipped his coffee. When he looked up from his cup, he thought he saw a bright pink tint on his _senpai_ ’s face that disappeared as soon as he noticed. _I must be imagining things,_ Atsumu thought to himself.

"Life is how it’s always been at the farm," Kita replied, his hands hugging the coffee cup for warmth. "I don’t have very many stories for you, as it’s mostly only me and Gran working together. Well, Osamu drops by every so often as well, but I guess he already tells you about that."

Atsumu was about to press him for more when the airport speakers announced the gates opening for their flight. "That’s us, Atsumu. Shall we?" Kita asked, smiling slightly into the blond setter’s warm brown eyes.

They boarded the plane early, and settled in business class: Atsumu seated near the window, and Kita beside him near the aisle. Kita may have seemed calm on the inside, but deep inside he was fighting his own nerves, and the irresistible call of sleep. He had stayed up late the night before, planning, packing, making sure everything was all in place before leaving home, and all that activity (and nervous energy) was finally manifesting in sleepiness. He started nodding off while reading the small guidebook, and he struggled to stay awake through takeoff. 

Kita stole a glance at Atsumu, who seemed busy enough playing a game on his phone, and so, putting his AirPods on, swiped to an offline playlist, and decided to close his eyes for a short nap. The last thing he remembered was a Ben & Ben song lulling him to sleep, and leaning on something warm. 

  
*

Atsumu was this close to beating Osamu’s rank on the game he was playing when he felt the sudden weight of Kita’s head drop on his shoulder. A glance at the sleeping young man told Atsumu that he was going to be there for a while. Soft breaths puffed from Kita’s parted lips, and Atsumu realised that this was the first time he had ever seen his former team captain’s face up close. His grey eyelashes curled upwards gently at the ends, fringing his closed eyelids. He wondered how it would feel to run a finger along Kita’s cheek, which was as fuzzy and sunkissed as a summer peach. Had this happened way back in high school, Atsumu would have gone in for a try, to brush Kita’s soft cheek with the rough pad of his fingertip. It was an easy temptation to give into, after all. But years had passed since then, and they were far from the hot-blooded teenagers they once were. Atsumu had common sense, control over his impulses, and a sense of responsibility. Well, he would have to take responsibility if Kita woke up while he was stroking his cheek, and it was something they would have to talk about, and he really, _really_ wanted nothing more, in this moment, to touch that cheek, with his fingers, or maybe even with his lips—

He broke from the _very_ dangerous reverie when luckily (or not), the refreshment trolley rolled past them. Atsumu silently accepted the snacks, jolting him back to common sense. Eating them would have to wait. He knew he was supposed to be relaxing on this trip, but why the heck did he feel as tense as if he were in an important V-League game? His sweat was beading profusely on his forehead as he assessed the pros and cons of waking his _senpai_ up to eat the airline snack. Muttering a prayer to gods that he didn’t believe in before, he tapped his finger lightly on Kita’s cheek. 

The setter was sure that his fingertips were always on point, but this time, he felt his head feel light as the soft downy fuzz of Kita’s cheek made contact with them. It was everything he had expected and yet, it was more than that. Atsumu’s musing was interrupted as his sleeping companion started to stir, the grey lashes moving to blink. 

Kita seemed to notice something was amiss, sensing Atsumu’s nervous energy. "Atsumu. Are you okay?" he asked, a tinge of worry in his voice.

"Ah, uh, I’m okay. Kita-san," Atsumu responded in a low voice, handing his captain one of the custard buns. "I didn’t know what you wanted from the cart, so I got you a custard bun." 

"Thank you, Atsumu," Kita said groggily, taking the bun from Atsumu’s hands, their fingers brushing for just a millisecond, but long enough for the Black Jackal’s cheeks to flush. Kita had kept his eyes lowered in sleepiness and didn’t see, much to Atsumu’s relief.

Little did he know that Kita’s cheeks had turned as ruddy as a summer peach, too.

*

They arrived at Naha International Airport without incident, and Kita immediately saw the expanse of blue ocean right beside the runway from the windows of the airport. _Definitely not in Hyogo anymore,_ he thought. They picked up their luggage from the carousel and hailed a cab heading to the hotel. Naha was the capital of Japan’s summer isles, and the idyllic landscape laid itself out before them from the taxi as the city rolled into view. Even Kita had to take a breath at the cerulean sea and the white sand beyond the buildings in the morning light. He looked over at his companion. Surely Atsumu had seen sights like this on his travels, and he might have grown weary of the plane and car rides. Kita just hoped that Atsumu would like what he had in store.

Usually during travels and away games, Atsumu would ignore the view for getting the right amount of sleep, foregoing the sights when they go to different locations. Today, however, he tried to admire the view from the car window. Seeing mostly unimpressive buildings and the blue sea (nothing on Osaka, he mused), he turned to face Kita again and saw that the wonderful view was really just beside him, in the back seat of this old Toyota Crown. "How about you, _senpai_? Yer feeling fine?" he asked him. "Also, thanks for coming with me to this trip. Well, technically, this is your trip and I’m just tagging along, but I’m glad to have a bit of a break," he said as he started to lean on the car door. Atsumu felt the tiredness and lack of sleep set in, now that the panic on the plane had subsided. "Wake me up if I fall asleep, please, Kita-san?" he muttered as he slowly drifted off.

*

Kita watched Atsumu’s head drop into drowsiness as he barely finished his sentence. The grueling training sessions at MSBY, and the excitement over the National Team inclusion had finally taken a toll on his former _kouhai_ , the young rice farmer thought. He saw the blond’s head sway dangerously towards the taxi window as it turned into an intersection, and reached for it, placing it carefully but firmly in the crook of his own shoulder and neck. He held the opposite side of Atsumu’s head until they reached the hotel. 

As the taxi rolled to a stop, Kita gently nudged Atsumu awake, and got out of the taxi. They placed their luggage in a corner of the lobby and Kita showed the voucher for five nights’ stay to the concierge. 

Kita was about to make a call when the concierge called them to give them their room keys. "Shall we?" he asked Atsumu, who was blearily peering around the lobby. Taking him gently by the arm, the pair made their way up to the rooms. Kita unlocked the door with the keycard and the strange combi wheeled their luggage inside. 

"Atsumu," Kita said, "I’ll have to call the front desk. there’s only one bed in this room."


	2. shuri-jo.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atsumu and Kita explore the castle that memories built... and memories that may have had lasted longer than necessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is up! Thank you for your kudos and comments, they are vv much appreciated!
> 
> I made a playlist of the songs I’ll be using in this fic, and stream it while reading, it helps! Here is the [link](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Tho0O9tfQpbLothbPWDSu?si=R7_CRLOgTKaWzq8SYP9mfg)!  
> Talk to me on [Twitter](https://www.twitter.com/kitasyin)!

Atsumu suddenly felt the fatigue wash over him, collapsing on the large mattress as soon as his knees touched the edge of the bed. Its warmth engulfed him as he shook off his shoes, arms stretched out on the expanse of the duvet. 

"Kita-san, you don’t have to, it’s a big bed," he said with a yawn. "It _was_ part of the prize package right? It might have been aimed towards couples. Besides, it’s been a long day. I’m okay just staying here," he muttered into the pillow.

Atsumu rubbed his eyes and snuck a peek at Kita. "I could take this side of the bed," he bargained, pointing an imaginary dividing line, "and I promise I’ll stay here. You should rest for a bit too. Do we have somewhere to be later?" he asked as he wriggled to make space on the bed for his _senpai_.

He took off his shirt and put it to the side before finding a comfortable position to sleep, " _Senpai_ , you should sit down," he mumbled as he drifted back to sleep.

Kita watched helplessly as Atsumu flopped down on the large bed, messing up the sheets. _Well, that’s that. I guess I could take one side of the bed,_ he thought. The national player’s large frame easily took up more than half the space, though, so Kita gingerly perched himself on the edge of the bed and messaged the car rental company. _The car can come in first thing in the morning,_ the former captain mused. 

Atsumu’s breathing soon evened out, and Kita looked over at the sleeping setter with a smile. Walking over to the other side of the bed, he pulled the covers over him. There would be a lot of time to see the sights later, but Atsumu would definitely be hungry once he woke up. Kita stood up and took the room key, writing a note for his sleeping companion by the bedside table: 

_Went to get lunch. Will be back soon. — Kita_

The ashy-haired young man headed down to the lobby, and out into Kokusaidori, as Naha’s entertainment district slowly came to life. Kita could smell salt in the wind, a sure sign that the beach was close by. He stepped into a convenience store, deciding to save any real sightseeing for when his companion woke up. He bought a negitoro onigiri and green tea for Atsumu, and a seaweed-edamame onigiri and milk tea for himself. After some consideration, he added a pudding cup and some motion sickness medicine. Ducking into a cafe across the street, he bought two hot coffees, and headed back to the hotel.

Meanwhile, back in the room, Atsumu woke up feeling quite refreshed and comfortable. The room’s air conditioning had definitely gotten colder, but he was snugly tucked in. _Huh? I swear I didn’t put the covers on myself while I fell asleep,_ he thought to himself. He got up and fixed the sheets. He looked around the room for Kita but found a note instead. 

"Still as thoughtful as ever, huh, Kita-san?" he said with a lopsided smile, as he shuffled around the room looking for his luggage. He wanted to take a bath before the other man returned.

He gathered his bath stuff, and docking his phoneup to the Bluetooth speaker system in the room, started up his usual playlist. He wanted to refresh himself, and instantly felt all his fatigue wash away as he stepped into the shower. The hot water splashed on his body, instantly releasing all the tension and aches. 

Shower all sorted, he went to the mirror and gave himself a shave. He had a bit of stubble. _Last week’s training was grueling for sure. No real time to get pretty,_ he thought as he bid his five o’clock shadow goodbye. 

"You can do this, Tsumu" he said to his reflection. He stopped to consider: what _exactly_ can he do, anyway? He wrapped his towel around him when he realised he left his clothes outside. _Kita-san’s still out in the city so I can change without a problem,_ he thought.

*

Kita had heard the shower tap turn on as he got back into the hotel room. He then made _absolutely_ sure to make enough noise, in the hopes that Atsumu would hear that he had come back. Alas, the room speakers blasting a Yakuza game song made sure that his showering roommate heard nothing. 

Kita was rummaging through his luggage for his own set of toiletries when Atsumu stepped out behind him, emerging from the shower. He turned around to find his companion with hair damp, one of the hotel towels around his waist, and nothing more. A moment of silence between them passed as the Yakuza song ended, and a Tio song came on, bass-heavy and flirty-voiced.

_If I got you, I don’t need anything else,_

_These words suit you best_

_Tomorrow let’s go to a nearby town, have lunch, and play till evening~_

"I got you lunch," he told Atsumu, who was changing into fresh clothes. "There’s a negitoro onigiri and a pudding cup," he said, setting them down on the small table for two. "I’ll heat the onigiri up for both of us." Kita made his way to the microwave near the room foyer, heaving a sigh of relief when he ducked away from Atsumu’s view. One look at the mirror told him what he already felt: his cheeks flaming red, sweat beading on his forehead. Shaking his head, he put the two onigiri neatly on a small plate, and turned on the microwave.

Atsumu stopped for a moment, his arm halfway through the carnelian dri-fit top he was wriggling into, and stared a beat too long at his former captain. Tio continued to croon flirtatiously through the wireless speakers, adding weight to the tension between them. Snapping out of it, the blond turned away to finish changing as the older one went to prepare the food he bought for them. 

When Kita was out of sight, Atsumu tried to put on his clothes as quickly as he could. He had showered and dressed with fellow players, hundreds of times by now, and he didn’t give two shits about who saw what in there (and as far as he was concerned, he didn’t give two shits about what he saw either.) Locker room shenanigans were par for the course in any team sport, after all. 

As much as Atsumu tried to push it to the back of his mind, he had no idea why he was so nervous about Kita seeing him in only a towel. Well, _maybe_ he did, but he didn’t want to squander this one time some unseen good providence gave him a chance to be with Kita again. He can’t screw this up now. 

He was drying his hair when Kita reemerged in the room with a plate of onigiri in his hand. The setter made his way towards the small table as Kita sat down. 

"So, Kita-san, what’s the plan for today? Can we go to a bar later tonight, please?" he bargained. He missed going out for drinks, the rigid training schedules and the practice matches required him to stay alcohol-free on schedule. This was the only time he could cut loose a little. "But if you don’t want to, I understand," he quickly said after he saw Kita give him what he thought was a _look_.

Wanting to change the topic out of embarrassment, he took the negitoro onigiri and bit into it. The flavours of the fresh tuna and spicy green onion burst in his mouth, instantly reminding him of the times he’d go to Onigiri Miya after practice to just annoy the heck out of Samu. Atsumu closed his eyes as he ate more of the onigiri, a happy sigh escaping his lips as he finished it. It wasn’t as good as his brother’s, but it gave him a sense of nostalgia.

Kita momentarily stopped eating to watch Atsumu. It never ceased to amaze him how much the Miya twins loved food. Atsumu’s brother Osamu even turned this passion into his way of life — which Kita knew very well, as he was Onigiri Miya’s main rice supplier, and kept in constant communication with its proprietor.

Atsumu’s question broke into his thoughts, catching him off guard. Training his attention on the happy eating face in front of him, he replied, "I _did_ want to go out and look at the ruins of Shuri Castle, and maybe walk a little down Kokusai Avenue today. But I figured you’d want to go out for a drink, since you usually don’t, and it _is_ a vacation," Kita continued. "So yeah, I might have a place in mind for that." He turned to his little notebook and checked off a few boxes. 

He saw Atsumu’s eyes widen a bit and crinkle into smiles behind his onigiri. "Finish that pudding cup and I’ll just freshen up. We can go afterwards," Kita said, taking everything he might need into the shower, and Atsumu waited, taking everything he needed to say into his heart, for now. 

They debated good-naturedly over walking or taking a cab to their first stop, and agreed, after a few metres, that walking was the better option. Soon enough the odd pair found themselves at Shuri Castle, where they clearly saw the rebuilding efforts after a fire the year before had taken almost the whole majestic red building down.

Atsumu brought out his phone and started taking photos. Between the twins, Osamu was more into historical stuff like this, and he wanted to capture a few shots to send to him (and maybe a few photos to post for his Insta as well.) He looked over at his travel companion, who was clearly in some kind of thought process, the little notebook once again in his hands. Kita had changed into a white shirt underneath a light blue ombré-print button-down, sleeves neatly folded at the elbows. The farmer’s hands were the first ones to have aged, his long, slim fingers permanently tanned and callused by the long hours spent tilling the earth. They were not unlike Atsumu’s hands, and for a split second, Atsumu freely gave in to wondering what those hands would feel like, palm-to-palm, fingers intertwined, and maybe cupping his face as their lips met.

Kita thought about how the Naha city government literally asked people for their photos, videos, literally their _memories_ of _Shuri-jo_ , and how memories could build back better. He pondered sharing this with Atsumu, but when he saw the star setter taking selfies with the unique Ryukyu architecture, Kita resigned himself to a soft chuckle. _Some things really refuse to become memories._

Night had started to fall as they made their way back to Kokusai Avenue, the sun painting wild pinks and oranges against the ombre indigo sky. 

Atsumu watched as the golden hour settled quietly into the courtyard of the castle, bathing everything in a soft amber glow. _Well, this is something Naha has over Osaka, I’ll give it that_ , he thought as he marveled at Shuri-jo, now dappled in the lights and shadows of sunset. He looked over, and saw the same amber glow in the irises of Kita’s eyes, and thanked his lucky stars that he was here, and nowhere else. 

Kita took in the beauty of the scene unfolding before him, the proper end to their first day in Okinawa. He and Atsumu had only arrived today, and the island was already drawing him in, Ryukyu magic lifting his spirits. Kita snapped out of his reverie to find Atsumu just as mesmerised. He reached out and nudged Atsumu’s palm lightly with his fingers. "Hey," he said. "Pick out a place for dinner? Let me handle the bar," he said, smiling. Sometimes Atsumu still seemed a kid at heart.

*

They eventually settled on Sakurazaka, a popular yakiniku restaurant, for dinner, at Atsumu’s behest. The retro design of the interiors seemed to have been lifted straight from the Showa era. The delicious smell of grilled beef, pork and vegetables wafted through the air, making Kita’s mouth water.

“This was a great choice, Atsumu,” he said as the plates of meat started filling the space around their shared tabletop griller. 

“Of course!” Atsumu said, placing the slices of beef onto the heated iron plate. Kita later turned them over and placed the perfectly cooked slices of meat onto their plates, and allowed himself a happy sigh as the beef melted on his tongue. Both of them agreed that while Okinawa beef was flavourful and tender, it had nothing on Hyogo beef. The conversation flowed easily, with Atsumu naturally taking the lead, plying Kita with stories of his teammates, life in Osaka, V-League games and his excitement over the upcoming Olympics. The rice farmer was content to enjoy the pro player’s stories of the monsters they knew.

Atsumu suddenly stopped mid-sentence, as he realised that he might have been overstepping boundaries again. “I’m sorry, Kita-san, I went off on a ramble there,” Atsumu said, rubbing the back of his neck as a pink blush swept his cheeks. “How are things with you?”

Kita smiled at Atsumu’s sheepishness. " _Kamahen_ . I enjoyed listening to your stories about MSBY and well, now you’re wearin’ the red jersey," he said, barely concealing the pride in his voice. "I’ve told my gran that my _kouhai_ are amazing, and I still think so. You, Osamu, and Aran are great examples." 

He chuckled a bit as he saw Atsumu blush. "It’s the truth," he said simply. "Unfortunately, I don’t really have much to tell on my end. Life at the farm is one continuous series of habits and rituals. I do drive out to deliver rice, but that’s about as exciting as it gets."

*

The two men finished their yakiniku dinner and headed out into the balmy Okinawa evening. They strolled a little further up Kokusai Avenue, the shops and bars illuminating their path. Kita took Atsumu’s hand and pulled him gently towards a small street off the main avenue. He gestured towards a door in one of the office buildings. Behind the door was a tiny, dimly-lit bar, with a wide polished wooden countertop. Twelve seats lined the bar area, and the real drawcards — their selection of over 500 types of shochu and awamori, the Okinawan regional drink — were on full display on the wall behind the bar. Lo-fi electronica pulsed through the space unobtrusively. The place looked better than in the photos. Kita was glad to have made the reservation. 

"I hope you don’t mind that I picked this bar out. I thought that you might want a breather from the public eye. But if you want to go to a club, we could, too," he said by way of apology to Atsumu. 

"It’s perfect," the pro athlete said, a smile playing on his lips as he looked back at Kita. "Thank you."

They took their seats at the bar, and Kita ordered an awamori-shikuwasa chuhai for himself and Atsumu. A song by eill came on, her vocals whistling in Kita’s ears.

_We were dancing like forever_

_Any time any where any places_

_And we were laughing at same old jokes_

_Every day every night every moment..._

They started to talk about the past; about the volleyball club, their time at Nationals, the loss to Karasuno, and the moments after. By their second drink, Kita and Atsumu had moved on to talking about _that_ time. Kita had never really thought much about it before, but one thing was clear to himself, at least. He kept silent about this however, choosing to pick at the nankotsu deep fry they had ordered for sides. Atsumu might have forgotten, after all. 

When Atsumu ordered another drink, though, he came back to earth. The setter clearly had enough to drink, and not surprisingly seemed like a lightweight. When Atsumu muttered something like disapproval, Kita said, "Okay, let’s share the last drink then we’re goin’ back, alright?" The last shikuwasa chuhai for the night arrived at the table and Kita decided to try splitting the drink into two glasses to share. Atsumu had been watching the pouring carefully, their faces merely inches from each other. 

"Hey, Kita-san."

Kita stopped pouring in time to see Atsumu’s face close to his, their noses almost touching. Atsumu’s honey-brown eyes glowed in the bar’s dim light, half-lidded and growing closer. Kita’s own eyes fluttered closed, his heart skipping beats. 

To his relief (and maybe a touch of disappointment), the moment was over as quickly as it began, as Atsumu pulled away to nibble on some more _nankotsu_. "Shall we go?" he asked, settling the tab despite Kita’s protests.

They headed back out, the heady salty scent of Okinawa’s night air bringing some sobriety back to Kita’s senses. Atsumu, however, was staggering as he walked, his steps unsteady due to awamori and the music. Kita put one shoulder under Atsumu’s, supporting the man’s large frame. They walked to a nearby park bench to catch their breath. The stars were out beyond the bright lights of Kokusai Avenue, and eill’s voice continued to breathe in their ears.

_It’s too good to say good-bye, my heart is calling you, "’won’t you stay?"’_

"Kita-san."

Kita groggily looked down from watching the stars, suddenly hyperaware of Atsumu’s face close to his, their breaths mingling in the small space between. 

_Give me a kiss and make it forever..._

As the chorus swelled in Kita’s ears, Atsumu closed the gap between them, his warm lips finding Kita’s. The ashy-haired man took a deep breath in surprise, and noticed the taste of shikuwasa and alcohol, and a faint scent of verbena aftershave. His hands found Atsumu’s hair, brushing past the fresh undercut and threading through the blond waves.

  
  



End file.
